Porta Caelimontana, Ancient city gate in Celio district, Rome, Italy.
The Porta Caelimontana is an ancient city gate in the Celio district that features a stone archway with typical Roman construction details. The structure formed part of Rome's early defensive system and later served as a support for the Aqua Claudia aqueduct.
This gate was originally built as part of the Servian Wall and was redesigned during Augustus's reign. It gained further importance when it was adapted to support the Aqua Claudia aqueduct under Nero.
The gate marks where the Via Caelimontana begins, a road lined with Roman tombs that were discovered during excavations in the late 1800s. These burial sites reveal how important this route was for people traveling outside the city.
The gate is easily reached on foot from several bus stops and metro stations in the Celio district. Since it is an open outdoor structure with no fences, visitors can view it anytime and explore the surrounding streets freely.
The structure is identified with the Arch of Dolabella from 10 AD, making it one of the oldest dated Roman arches still standing. This early origin explains why it has survived so well and why it remains significant to researchers studying early Roman construction.
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